Enabling motion parallax with multilayer 360-degree video
Systems and methods are described for simulating motion parallax in 360-degree video. In an exemplary embodiment for producing video content, a method includes obtaining a source video, based on information received from a client device, determining a selected number of depth layers, producing, from the source video, a plurality of depth layer videos corresponding to the selected number of depth layers, wherein each depth layer video is associated with at least one respective depth value, and wherein each depth layer video includes regions of the source video having depth values corresponding to the respective associated depth value, and sending the plurality of depth layer videos to the client device.
1. A method of producing video content, the method comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional source video;
based on information received from a client device, determining a selected number of depth layers;
producing, from the three-dimensional source video, a plurality of video streams corresponding to the selected number of depth layers, wherein each video stream is associated with at least one respective depth value, and wherein each video stream includes regions of the source video having depth values corresponding to the respective associated depth value; and
sending the plurality of video streams to the client device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one respective depth value associated with each video stream is a range of depth values.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, to the client device, information identifying at least one associated depth value for each of the plurality of video streams.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the associated depth value of each video stream is an average depth value.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the video streams is a 360-degree video.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional source video is a 360-degree video.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the selected number of depth layers based on information received from a client device comprises receiving the selected number of layers from the client device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the selected number of depth layers based on information received from a client device comprises selecting the number of layers based at least in part on network conditions reported by the client device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the selected number of depth layers based on information received from a client device comprises selecting the number of layers based at least in part on processing capabilities of the client device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the selected number of depth layers based on information received from a client device comprises negotiating the number of layers with the client device.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional source video is obtained at least in part by one or more of a depth camera and a light field camera capturing the three-dimensional source video.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending to the client device a bit mask identifying transparent regions of at least one of the depth layers.
13. A method of displaying video content at a client device, the method comprising:
negotiating a selected number of depth layers with a content server, wherein the selected number of layers depends at least in part on network conditions of communication with the content server;
receiving a number of video streams corresponding to the selected number of depth layers;
tracking a head position of a user of the client device;
mapping the video streams to a composite video according to the head position; and
displaying the composite video.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving an associated depth for each of the video streams, wherein the mapping is further based on the respective associated depths.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of content in a first video stream is scaled up in size so as to obscure additional content in a second video stream.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the selected number of depth layers is determined at least in part by processing capabilities of the client device.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the video streams are 360-degree video streams.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the composite video is a 360-degree video stream.
19. A content server comprising:
a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions operative to perform functions comprising:
obtaining a three-dimensional source video;
based on information received from a client device, determining a selected number of depth layers;
producing, from the three-dimensional source video, a plurality of video streams corresponding to the selected number of depth layers, wherein each video stream is associated with at least one respective depth value, and wherein each video stream comprises regions of the source video having depth values corresponding to the respective associated depth value; and
sending the plurality of video streams to the client device.
20. The content server of claim 19 , wherein the client device is a virtual reality display.